5 Fascinating Urban Green Spaces Around The World (PHOTOS)

As our urban landscapes continue to expand outwards, the green spaces within these landscapes become more and more precious. To our delight, and the delight of city dwellers the world over, these so-called urban green space are experiencing somewhat of a resurgence as unexpected and unused spaces are put to use as environmentally friendly areas. From roof-tops and old railway lines to entire buildings, our built-up environments are being utilized to improve our urban environment. Here at Black Tomato we welcome the transformation from grey to green, take a look at some of our old and new favourite green spaces the world over.

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The spectacular Living Wall at the Athenaeum Hotel in London was created by Patrick Blanc, who has created vertical gardens all over the world using his pioneering planting techniques. The Athenaeum Living Wall uses more species of plants than any other Vertical Garden in the UK. It's nothing short of botanical architecture.

This stunning installation at the European Environment Agency (EEA) offices in central Copenhagen marks the UN International Year of Biodiversity. The living façade made up of 5,000 plants represents a map of Europe with the various plants mirroring the relative ecological diversity of different regions. Living walls, or vertical gardens, are part of a building or structure that utilise the vertical surfaces that would normally be barren. In Mumbai, India, work is underway on what will become the tallest and largest living wall in the world. A vertical garden will encompass all walls of the 170m high, Residence Antilia.

This is one of the original urban green spaces, which has since paved the way for other clever usage of urban space. The Promenade Plantée runs 4.5km through Paris' 12th arrondissement from Place de la Bastille to Bois de Vincennes, on a viaduct and over footbridges . The elevated viaduct supported the Vincennes Railway from 1859 to 1969. The viaduct was bought by the City as part of a general renovation of the area in 1986 and replaced with a sprinkling of beautiful gardens.

In Madrid, the 1850s Atocha rail center was superseded by a modern transportation complex. The expansive terminal building was converted into a concourse with a vast tropical garden in the middle which spreads over 43,000 square feet. The old waiting room now features many shops, cafés, and even a nightclub.

This beautiful elevated park in New York City was created from a freight train track that had fallen into disrepair after it ceased operating in 1980. Large sections of the track were demolished while remaining parts were left derelict and became overgrown with wildflowers and grasses. Many local residents considered it an eyesore and supported the cause for the demolition of the remainder of the High Line. However, the historic train track was saved from demolition by two passionate campaigners in 1999.